Larger Effort to Shelter Homeless in Winter OKd
The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday endorsed an expansion of the city’s efforts this winter to shelter the homeless at National Guard armories, park facilities, hotels and motels in cold and rainy weather.
With no discussion, the council unanimously approved the Community Development Department’s plan to expand the program by using larger, more centrally located family shelters.
Bob Vilmur, the city’s homeless coordinator, said the shelters are better suited for providing services and more cost-effective than hotel and motel rooms. Last year, it cost an average of $18.10 to provide hotel or motel vouchers compared to $10 a night for family shelter at armories.
The city will spend $325,000 in federal grant money and about $230,000 in city funds on the expansion.
Both the city and county today begin their annual cold-weather program to help get the homeless off the streets at night.
The program, which runs from Nov. 1 to March 31, is designed to bring the homeless indoors when temperatures dip below 40 degrees or if rain is expected and temperatures drop to 50 degrees.
Anyone needing help finding shelter or placing a homeless person can call the Info Line at 1-800-548-6047.
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